Easy open portable easel

ABSTRACT

A portable easel is built light enough to be carried yet rugged enough to withstand continued out door use and has no loose parts to have to assemble. It is easily folded into a manageable size package, closed and held closed with gas springs. An elastic strap is employed across the closed legs to prevent the easel from being inadvertently opened. A shoulder strap is provided to carry the easel to remote locations. From a folded position an easy open portable easel can be set up easily and quickly by releasing the elastic strap and gently pulling the front legs outward to allow the gas springs to travel over center and push outward. There are no parts to attach or detach when opening an easy open portable easel After the basic frame is deployed, extend the telescoping legs and adjust the easel orientation and height, swing the upper canvas support bar and bracket out and up and push down to latch. Adjust the upper canvas support bracket and the lower canvas support brackets to suit the artist canvas or similar item size. A utility tray may be cradled in the lower canvas support brackets for convenient accessibility of paints, brushes, pins, pencils, markers, pointers and such.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Easels are common to most artists, painters in particular. One style of easel is not generally adaptable for the wide range of requirements for artists who paint, draw or sketch in various locations such as outdoors and indoors. The outdoors especially, can be challenging due to the varying terain, weather, objects and subjects. Therefore, there can be no all in one easel that will suit everyone and every condition. There is a need for a portable easel that is light weight and foldable, and can be used indoors and outdoors with a minimum amount of set up time and one that can be carried from place to place.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The easel is made into a tripod arrangement with gas springs to open the legs and hold the legs open and rigid. The desirability of this easel is two fold. One is to have an easel that, when folded up will be small enough and a light enough package that it can be easily transported to a desired site, carried by shoulder strap, yet sturdy enough as to produce a stable frame for the artist. Second, is minimal set up time. The easel is normally held closed by an over the center gas spring configuration but can easily set up by releasing an elastic safety strap that holds the easel closed so it will not be inadvertently opened and for transport or storage. A gentle tug on the legs will cause the gas springs to extend and open the legs. Once the legs are open, the telescoping portion of the legs can be adjusted to the desired easel height and orientation on uneven surfaces. Telescoping legs are slotted to prevent legs from extending out too far; legs are locked in place by thumb screws. The lower media holders, one on each of the two front legs, can be adjusted to a height that suits the artist and locked in place by thumb screws. The upper media holder arm swings out and up, locking into position and the upper media holder can be adjusted to a height to suit the media size and locked in place by a thumb screw, Media size may range from 6″ to 48″ in height and up to 48″ in width.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the easy open portable easel in an open position with the telescoping legs fully retracted and the upper bracket arm in the upright and locked position.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the easy open portable easel in the open position with the telescoping legs fully retracted and the upper bracket arm in the upright and locked position.

FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of FIG. 1 of the easy open portable easel in an open position with the telescoping legs fully retracted and the upper bracket arm in the upright and locked position.

FIG. 4 is a left side elevation view of FIG. 1 of the easy open portable easel in an open position with the telescoping legs extended and the upper bracket arm in the upright and locked position.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the easy open portable easel in the closed position with the telescoping legs fully retracted and the upper bracket arm in closed position.

FIG. 6 is a top view of FIG. 5 of the easy open portable easel in the closed position.

FIG. 7 is the left side elevation view of the easy open portable easel in the closed position with the telescoping legs fully retracted and the upper bracket arm in closed position.

FIG. 8 is a top view of FIG. 7 of the easy open portable easel in the closed position.

FIG. 9 is a section view of the easy open portable easel cut thru FIG. 8 by dashed lines showing the movement of leg 5.

FIG. 10 is a section view of the easy open portable easel cut thru FIG. 7 by dashed lines showing the release method of the telescoping leg 19.

FIG. 11 is a section view of the easy open portable easel cut thru FIG. 6 by dashed lines showing the upper bracket arm movement.

FIG. 12 is a view of the upper bracket arm.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the easy open portable easel in the closed position showing the gas spring action.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the easy open portable easel in the neutral position showing the gas spring action.

FIG. 15 is a side view of the easy open portable easel in the open position showing the gas spring action.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings depict an easel built in a tripod configuration; hence, there is a rear leg 6, a left front leg 5, a right front leg 4 and a cap plate 1 at the apex, which forms a pivot. FIG. 1 is the front view in an open position and FIG. 2 is the top view in an open position of the easy open portable easel. Each of the numbers shown on the drawing represents a part or a surface. The easel cap plate 1 is machined for multiple functions. The rear, bottom of cap plate 1 is drilled and tapped 32 to receive the rear leg 6 which is threaded on the upper end to be screwed into 32 causing a rigid mount. The front face 30 of cap plate 1 is machined to match the slope that is formed when legs 4 and 5 are extended outward. This face surface 30 is slotted 25 and 26 to receive upper arm 8 and guide pins 23 and 24 in upper arm 8. Four screws 2 are screwed into cap plate 1 face 30, two on each side of slot 25 and through slot 26 to capture the pins 23 and 24 that are installed in upper arm 8. The right and left front corners of the cap plate 1 are machined to form a cradle 31 for legs 4 and 5. The cradles 31 are machined at 45 degrees to leg 6 and on a bevel only slightly less than the angle formed by the outward thrust of the gas springs 15 on legs 4 and 5. With the bevel on cradle 31 slightly less than the stroke of the gas springs, a stop is formed, thereby causing the legs 4 and 5 to become tight which causes the easel tripod frame to become rigid. Shoulder strap 29 is applied for ease in transport.

Upper arm 8 with guide pins 23 and 24 and top bracket 7 and thumb screw 18 is the top work piece holder and is made to be folded down when the easel is transported or stored. Upper arm 8 is in the upright locked position when pins 23 and 24 are resting on screws 2 in slot 26 when the easel is in use. Upper arm 8 can be folded down by lifting up on arm 8 to disengage pin 23 from slot 26 and swinging arm 8 out and down, allowing pin 24 to slide down to the lower screws 2 in slot 26. Top bracket 7 can be adjusted vertically by loosening thumb screw 18 and sliding bracket 7 up or down on arm 8. When the desired position for bracket 7 is obtained, tighten thumb screw 18 to prevent further movement.

Rear leg 6 is screwed into cap plate 1, making a rigid connection and has a bracket 13 attached, which serves as the attachment for the base of one gas spring 15 that extends to the left front leg 5 and the base of one gas spring 15 that extends to the right front leg 4. The bottom of rear leg 6 incorporates a thumb screw 18 and an internal nut 27 which acts as a clamp to lock in place the telescoping pipe 19 portion of rear leg 6.

Left front leg 5 is connected to cap plate 1 with one bolt 21 that goes through a hole near the top of left front leg 5 and threads into cradle 31 in cap plate 1, the bolt 21 creates a pivot for left front leg 5. Left front leg 5 has a bracket 16 attached, which serves as the attachment for the extension end of gas spring 15. Air spring 15 is attached to bracket 16 on left front leg 5 and to bracket 13 on rear leg 6 with shoulder bolts 14, with the shoulder of the bolt acting as a pivot for air spring 15. The bottom of left front leg 5 is equipped with a thumb screw 18 and an internal nut 27 which acts as a clamp to lock in place the telescoping pipe 19 portion of left front leg 5. Left front leg 5 also contains the left work piece support bracket 12, forming a compression bracket. Bracket 12 is adjustable up and down left front leg 5 by turning wing nut 11 onto threaded stud 9 causing bracket 12 to compress or loosen on left front leg 5, hence; bracket 12 can be moved up and down left front leg 5 to adjust for a wide range of work piece sizes in height. The upper end of front leg 5 is sealed with pipe cap 3. Bracket 12 is made in such a manner as to cradle utility tray 22.

Right front leg 4 is connected to cap plate 1 with one bolt 21 that goes through a hole near the top of right front leg 4 and threads into cradle 31 in cap plate 1, the bolt 21 creates a pivot for right front leg 4. Right front leg 4 has a bracket 16 attached, which serves as the attachment for the extension end of gas spring 15. Gas spring 15 is attached to bracket 16 on right front leg 4 and to bracket 13 on rear leg 6 with shoulder bolts 14, with the shoulder of the bolt acting as a pivot for gas spring 15. The bottom of right front leg 4 is equipped with a thumb screw 18 and an internal nut 27 which acts as a clamp to lock in place the telescoping pipe 19 portion of right front leg 4. Right front leg 4 also contains the left work piece support bracket 10, forming a compression bracket. Bracket 10 is adjustable up and down right front leg 4 by turning wing nut 11 onto threaded stud 9 causing bracket 10 to compress or loosen on right front leg 4; hence, bracket 12 can be moved up and down right front leg 4 to adjust for a wide range of work piece sizes in height. The upper end of front leg 5 is sealed with pipe cap 3. Bracket 12 is made in such a manner as to cradle utility tray 22.

FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 10 shows telescoping pipe 19 and cap 20 which telescope out of rear leg 6, right front leg 4 and left front leg 5. Telescoping pipe 19 is used to adjust the easel height and to adjust the orientation of the easel if it is placed on uneven surfaces. Telescoping pipe 19 is adjusted manually, telescoping in or out of rear leg 6, right front leg 4 and left front leg 5. Telescoping pipe 19 is locked into position by tightening thumb screw 18 in internal nut 27, FIG. 10. Telescoping pipe 19 is guided by slot 28 which follows along one side of telescoping pipe 19 to near each end. Thumb screw 18 goes thru the slot and is threaded into internal nut 27. The end of slot 28 is utilized to form a stop to prevent telescoping pipe 19 from sliding completely out of rear leg 6, right front leg 4 and left front leg 5.

With references to FIG. 13, FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 gas spring 15 is an off the shelf gas spring with an outward thrust which means it is always pushing out. This outward thrust is what pushes out on left front leg 5 and right front leg 4 and holds them in position and the stop cradle 31 prevents the gas spring from reaching its fully extended position causing the tripod frame to become rigid. The principal applied to the easel leg opening and closing is the over the center method shown in FIG. 13, FIG. 14 and FIG. 15. This means that when three points, pivot 35, air spring 15 extension end 36 and air spring base end 37 are in alignment as in FIG. 14, the force 38 is still there but the gas spring is extended as far as it is allowed to go or all three points are on a common center line and the front legs 4 and 5 will remain stationary until moved off center by an external force.

If front legs 4 and 5 are moved past the center line, as in FIG. 14, toward rear leg 6, as in FIG. 13, legs 4 and 5 will be forced toward rear leg 6 by gas spring 15 and gas spring 15 will apply force in that direction and hold this position until an external force is applied to move legs 4 and 5. FIG. 13 is the normal position of rear leg 6, right front leg 4 and left front leg 5 for easel storage or transport. Elastic strap 17 is employed to prevent the easel from inadvertently being opened during storage or transport.

If front legs 4 and 5 are moved past the center line, as in FIG. 14, outwardly as in FIG. 15, legs 4 and 5 will be forced outwardly by gas spring 15 and gas spring 15 will apply force in that direction and hold this position with right front leg 4 and left front leg 5 extended as in FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is the normal position during a work session or for a display. 

1. An easy open portable easel comprising: a foldable tripod frame with the means of holding an artist's canvas or a similar item, a top pivot member, three legs, with telescoping inserts which are attached to the top pivot member, an upper artists canvas or item support bar and bracket that is attached to the top pivot member and to be folded inside the frame for storage, gas springs mounted to three legs for operability and lower canvas or similar item brackets that are made in a manner as to cradle a utility tray.
 2. An easy open portable easel as claim in claim 1 wherein said top member is prepared so as to have one aforementioned leg attached rigid, have two aforementioned legs attached as to pivot against a stop.
 3. An easy open portable easel as claim in claim 2 wherein said to have two aforementioned legs attached as to pivot against a stop, has a clamp type bracket on each said leg that is adjustable vertically on said legs for positioning of the bottom portion of the artists canvas or work piece and is secured in place with wing nuts and threaded studs.
 4. An easy open portable easel as claim in claim 2 wherein said one aforementioned leg attached rigid, and two aforementioned legs attached as to pivot against a stop, have telescoping leg extensions for the purpose of increasing the height of the said portable easel and to adjust the orientation of said easel with respect to uneven surfaces. Said telescoping legs are slotted through which thumb screws are threaded into internal nuts for securing said telescoping leg extensions in a selected position.
 5. An easy open portable easel as claim in claim 1 wherein said top member is prepared so as to have the aforementioned upper canvas support and bracket attached as to pivot, rotating upward and latching in place.
 6. An easy open portable easel as claim in claim 4 wherein said to have the upper canvas bracket, said bracket is adjustable vertically on said upper canvas support and secured in place with a thumb screw.
 7. An easy open portable easel as claim in claim 1 wherein said gas springs are mounted between the aforementioned legs for the purpose of ease of opening and closing said legs and to hold said legs in position.
 8. An easy open portable easel comprising: a wide woven shoulder strap for the purpose of carrying the said easel to areas of choice.
 9. An easy open portable easel comprising: lower canvas holders that are adjustable in height and shaped in such a manner that a utility tray may be cradled in the lower canvas holder at the front of the easel. 